the Carmel

Celine's stories

Celine's travel diary

The original pagination is in square brackets.

 

From Tuesday, November 8, 18 p.m., to Wednesday, 9, 15 p.m.

[1] Milan

321.000 hours. [residents]

  • Campo santo novo, crematory
  • Visconti Palace (barracks)
  • Arc du Simplon, statue of Victory in memory of the Battle of Magenta won by the French.
  • St Ambrose Church, not very beautiful outside, pulpits where St Ambrose converted St Augustine, Tomb of Theodore. Sarcophagus of St Ambrose. Very old paintings and tombs in the walls outside the Church, pedestal of the statue of Bacchus, the church was its ancient temple. Grilled door that St Ambroise closed to Theodore.
  • St Ambroise Church, not very beautiful outside, pulpit where St Am. [sic]16 centuries.
  • Statue of Leonardo da Vinci
  • Train station with frescoes
  • St Charles Borromeo Cathedral, its body, its shrine all in gold, its [2] chapel in the crypt in bronze and the altar in silver. 460 steps to climb the dome. 52 columns, 2 of which are all in one piece. Statue of St Bartholomew flayed alive, he has his skin around him, it is a masterpiece. Paintings of 4e century. Painted ceiling, we take it for sculpture. Crucifix that St Charles carried into the city during the plague. Painting of ND of Miraculous Mercy. The holy nail of the crucifixion. Stained glass windows: 3 large windows each composed of more than a hundred engravings representing the Old Testament, the Apocalypse and the New Testament. The treasure of the church: a statue of St Ambrose and St Charles in solid silver, value: each more than a million, decorated with precious stones. [3] A large silver cross given by St Charles, another cross which is used to carry the holy nail, several busts of saints, a ciborium given by Pius IX, two monstrances, very old ivory dishes and several other valuable objects. A remarkable thing is that the marble which makes up the church on the exterior is also finely worked, right up to the top of the cathedral.
  • St Alexandre Church, altar and pulpit made of precious stones, lapis lazuli, amethists. The sacristy and confessionals in finely crafted wood. A window representing a curtain, it is artistic; the Italians [4] call it their most beautiful Church, it is unique in the world.
  • Garibaldi's palace looks like it was made of terracotta.
  • In Campo Santo there are some of the most remarkable statues: widows coming to cry over the death of their husbands, their poses and expressions are delightful. Children bring a bouquet to the grave of their parents, the Angel of judgment, Time [represented?] twice, Angels guarding a tomb, a young girl leaning on the sepulchral stone. In the surrounding monuments, the statue of charity is a woman with two [5] children, Faith she cries, NS giving charity to a poor man. A Mother who will join her son in heaven... etc. - The passage of Victor-Emmanuel.

PS St Alexandre, the church is completely (painted?) inside and paved with mosaics.

Ambrosian Basilica, the altar is supported by 4 porphyry columns and in the nave a colossal marble statue of Pius IX.

 

From Wednesday 9 22 p.m., to Friday 11, 9 a.m.

[6] Venice

St Mark's Square, St Mark's Church five domes, as in Ste Sophie de Constantinople, its bell tower is separate from it, it is a square tower with 37 levels.

  • 3 poles where we put the flags.
  • 2 posts where criminals were hanged.
  • A clock.
  • The Doge's Palace, splendid paintings by Paul Veronese, Tintoretto, a beautiful one especially representing the glory of Paradise. Tintoretto. In this same palace the bridge of sighs where the criminals passed then the prison, it is horrible.
  • The Chambord Palace.
  • Glass factory.
  • A lace factory with 5.000 workers.
  • [7] The church of Ste Marie du Salut.
  • The very large Hospice.
  • The Church of the Frai, mausoleum of Canova, original: a half-open door reveals the urn which contains his heart, beautiful marble statues representing the arts, sculpture, etc. come to cry at his tomb. Titian's tomb is opposite, it has cornices and columns, it is represented at 99 years old.
  • Church of the Dominicans, it contains an admirable chapel, burned in 1867 by the Venetians, it was built in the XNUMXthe century in memory of the Battle of Lepanto.
  • Carmelite Church near the station.

 

Friday 11, from around 10 a.m. to 15 p.m.

[8] Padua

We have just crossed the bridge that connects Venice to the continent, it is 3.600 m.

  • Church of St Antoine, in its chapel candelabra in solid silver, its tomb and the stained glass windows of her life in beautiful marble all around the chapel.
  • Reliquaries which contain the tongue of St Anthony, his jaw, the stone where he rested his head, the hair of the Blessed Virgin, we have seen and venerated these relics.
  • St Justina, church with 5 domes, her tomb, painting of her torture by Paul Veronese.
  • Portrait of the Holy Virgin [9] attributed to St Luke, only the head is in painting.

 

From Friday 11, at 18 p.m., to Saturday 12, at 11 a.m.

Bologna

  • St Barthélémy Church.
  • St Petronius Church.
  • Church of the Poor Clares, St Catherine of Bologna, it is preserved like St Charles but we see it under glass, a white spot on the chin, it is the kiss of the child Jesus; her hair shirt, the child Jesus painted by her, the Blessed Virgin and Jesus still painted by her, her lyre, her writings, the Crucifix which spoke to her, the vial which contains her still liquid blood.
  • The St Etienne Church itself includes 7 very distinct churches. [10] In the crypt tomb of St Vital and St Agricola.
  • An XNUMXth century baptistery, a very deep well.

 

From Saturday 12, 17 p.m., to Sunday 13 (afternoon?)

Lorette

  • On a hill, the Santa Casa is entirely covered with marble but not inside. Statue of the Blessed Virgin in cedar wood by St Luc. Bowl of the Blessed Virgin. Altar where St Peter said his first mass after the Ascension of NS
  • To arrive at Loreto we saw by train Imola at the foot of the hills, Senigallia homeland [11] of Pius IX. Gastelfidardo historical souvenir.

 

From Sunday 13, around 20 p.m., to Thursday 24, at 6 a.m.

[12] Rome

  • Mount Pincio, its walks
  • Mount Aventine and its ruins.
  • The church of St Paul outside the walls was destroyed in 1823, it is not completely completed; 12 marble columns in one very rare piece, precious stones are in profusion, we see green marble, red, gray, white, dark green. All columns are one piece polished granite.
  • Portraits of the Popes.
  • Relics of the saint in the crypt, in front of alabaster columns.
  • A large miraculous crucifix that one discovers only in great circumstances.
  • A large candlestick.
  • [13] Visited the cloister, they are Benedictines; in their treasures, relics of the true cross, considerable.
  • In the Church of St Paul outside the walls, in the cloister, we see in a kind of crypt or underground passage the place where the bodies of St Peter and St Paul were found and in one of the Trappist chapels with 3 fountains a small prison where St Paul [16] spent 3 days, this chapel had been built on the site of the martyrdom of the saints who had refused to offer incense to idols; there were 10.203, we can see the place where they are buried, we have already removed some of them.
  • The baths of Caracalla in ruins.
  • The Church of St. Cecilia, charming basilica, under the altar marble statue of the Saint, she is lying and in the same pose in which she was found.
  • Before this church not far from Mount Aventine, a small monument that indicates the place where St Peter and St Paul separated.
  • Traveled the Appian Way in the Roman countryside.
  • Church of St Sebastian, his marble statue lying under the altar, opposite, the stone which has the imprint of NS's feet when he appeared to St Pierre; one of St Sebastian's arrows and the column where he was attached.
  • Church of the Trappists it is they who have that of the Three Fountains where St Paul was [14] beheaded, the column on which he was martyred. We cannot touch it because of a gate in front; the 3 fountains, we drank the water that spouted from them.
  • Church of the monks.
  • Church built on the place where NS appeared to St Peter carrying a cross to reproach him for fleeing from persecution; facsimile of the imprint of his feet.
  • Ruined aqueducts.
  • Latin way.
  • Tomb of the Scipios, poor little house in ruins.
  • Saint Sebastian Gate.
  • Arch of Constantine.
  • [15] Temple of Bacchus, a very small square house in ruins.
  • Palace of the ancient Romans in ruins.
  • The Catacombs of St Callistus. Inscriptions, paintings, altar where Mass was said, tomb of St Cornelius, St Cecilia, skeleton of a woman, skull of a child at her feet, climbed 5 floors, painting of IIe century, an anchor, Jonas, the Canaanite, a bird, a knife etc., fragments, all the tombs are excavated.

 

Excursion on Monday 21 and Tuesday 22.

Naples

  • Bari, beautiful, mediterranean sea - Vesuvius - Egg Castle, in the water.
  • Castle of St Elbe, magnificent view - winding road - 2 tunnels, 1 km 1/2.

 

From Thursday 24, 21 p.m., to Saturday 45, 26 p.m.

Florence

  • Beautifully sculpted cathedral outside; opposite a monument baptistery whose door sculpted in bronze is rare. Michelangelo calls it the gate of Paradise.
  • Ste Croix Church, same type as the cathedral, white and very dark green marble. Remarkable marble pulpit, you would think it was made of wood. Sarcophagi with magnificent statues, among others a princess lying down, it [18] seems as if she is breathing - tomb of Michelangelo.
  • Church of Ste Madeleine de Pazzi, her body preserved as St Charles.
  • St Laurent Church very ugly on the outside.
  • 2 chairs representing the new testament are climbed by a stepladder. - splendid mosaic altar, precious stones, lapis lazuli is blue.
  • (In the Church of the Holy Cross there are many frescoes erased out of jealousy.)
  • Long walk in a magnificent garden, panorama of the city located at the foot of the Apennines
  • church on the height filled with children's tombs, children's campo santo, there are parts paved with marble slabs, these are tombs.
  • [19] Church of the Annunciation, painting of the Annunciation by M. Ange still hidden, know the legend.
  • Pitti Palace, magnificent museum of paintings by great masters: Raphael, Tintoretto, Dominiquin, Guido, Murillo, etc.

 

Between Rome and Florence: Thursday 24, afternoon.

Seating

  • Before Florence, a very ancient little town located on the top of a hill.
  • Church of St Francis, in the crypt his tomb, in the sacristy veil of the Blessed Virgin, writing of St Francis, further away house of St F., the place in the wall where his father locked him up, the door and the The entrance to his house is under a gate.
  • Church of St. Glaire, his body, we see it in the crypt, next to it in the Church a crucifix (very large) which spoke [20] to St. Francis. Below head of Se Agnès, sister of Ste Glaire, on her forehead a mark of the blows she had received from her uncles.
  • At the bottom of the mountain the Church of the Portiuncula, a small chapel in the Church itself; indulgences; further, adjoining the Church, bush where St Francis rolled, place where the Blessed Virgin appeared to him.

 

From Saturday 26, 16:30 p.m., to Sunday. 27, afternoon.

Pisa

Very pretty cathedral at the end of town. 3 solid bronze doors representing vines, very beautiful baptistery, an echo... Campanile leaning tower.

Small details of the life of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus which are not recorded in her history

Late memories written by Sister Geneviève around 1948-1950, with this opinion: “I am not following any orders, it is haphazard”.

ROME TRIP

Basel. — At the hotel, the 3-pronged forks amused us a great deal.

Swiss. — The carriages different from those in France interested us.

Lorette. — It was on the Gospel side that Therese and I received (ms: received) Holy Communion, in the little corner, very close to the altar. In the Basilica, we avoided (ms: avoided) placing ourselves under the baton of the great Penitentiary! !

Florence. — The collectors in balaclavas, met in the evening, frightened us...

During the day, a torrential rain having occurred, all three sought shelter. It was a kind of small indoor museum, but in the open air. It was accessed by a large staircase [this is the Loggia delia Signoria].

In the church (?) where a miraculous painting of the Annunciation is shown, they did not want to draw the curtain which veils it, although the pilgrims asserted that the group was headed by a bishop (Mgr Germain, bishop of Coutances).

Milano. — The Campo Santo absolutely delights us, we were enthusiastic. Several ancient monuments should be taken, as well as the whole and the covered part, in the gallery. We were also shown the crematorium, but that seemed very sad to us, that is not to be remembered. (We were only the 3 of us and not in a pilgrimage group.)

At the church of St Ambroise (?) [actually Saint-Charles cathedral - the Duomo], we attended the low mass celebrated by Bishop Germain, all three placed behind the reliquary of St Charles Borromeo, all the other pilgrims being in Before.

Rome. — We went to daily Mass at St André-delle-Fratte, where Ratisbonne was converted, very close to our hotel (Hotel du Sud). Leaning out of our bedroom window, the procession of the various colleges interested us (ms: interested). Once all the children and young people were in red.

— One day when the pilgrims were free, we were strolling down a certain street near a splendid church and a gigantic fountain whose name we did not know. I spoke to a gentleman who did not understand me, so I resolutely took out these few words: “Questri di piazza, la chiesa? » and the gentleman, delighted, to answer us to this Italian (flayed): « Piazza Navone ». He also named us the church of Ste Agnès but we did not enter it. Thérèse looked at me amazed at having dared to speak Italian!

— At the Trevi Fountain, we were told that if we threw a coin there we would be forced to return to Rome, we did not throw it. Thérèse, however, had to return there [for her canonization]. The three of us were alone and not in a group.

Ball of the dome of Si Pierre. — We went up there. We can, it seems, be 12 there around a table.

— La Trinité-des-Monts, the three of us visited, alone, the sanctuary of the Virgin of Sion: “Mater admirabilis”.

Venice. “We both crawled into one of the horrible dungeons.

We visited, as a group, a certain spun glass factory where we were given scrap straw with woven glass hats.

We climbed to the top of the Campanile where, it seems, Napoleon was mounted on horseback. The staircase was not in steps, but in stages, with stops. Since then, this Campanile has collapsed.

Pisa. “We climbed to the top of the Leaning Tower and leaned into the void.

Genoa. — We bought small filigree silver brooches. It was a butterfly [Céline brought brooches to several friends in Lisieux].

Our only luggage was a large black leather bag carried by our father. We received on this subject many congratulations from the pilgrims who had encumbered themselves with trunks to be registered and delivered (And still we had added the pleasant, witness a good twin. city.)

Roma.

Place d'Espagne was our rallying point, from there we knew where to go.

Tarpeian rock. 'As children leaving the school benches, we insisted on seeing her. We were there alone, all three.

Franciscan Ossuary. — We visited it as a group.

Brother Simeon. — We were received in a visiting room at the entrance to the establishment [probably to make an appointment, because it is certain that Mr. Martin met, alone, Brother Simeon on November 22, 1887, while his daughters were at school. Naples and Pompeii].

Hotel de la Luna (is it in Lucerne or in Venice? to see [it is in Venice]).

In a grove ahead of him, the pilgrims spotted a large, golden-blond bug. It was a spider, but "beautiful" as much as this animal can be. She wasn't scary. His body was as big as a big frank hazelnut, the legs very short. She was so extraordinary that our Father took her in his hand and everyone could admire her, because she kept to it very wisely. His body was not hideous, but very well made. They then put it back in its grove.

In Lorette, we had bought small bells with a wax seal to guarantee their authenticity. In the train, by putting our head in the door, we waved it to answer the calls of a young lady from Larminat (A. from Larminat, from Bayeux) who was looking for us a lot, Thérèse and me; we were mutually very sympathetic.

Lyons. — We went up to our room in the Grand Hotel Collet by an elevator, which we liked very much.

Marseilles. — On the way back, we went up to ND de la Garde by the funicular.

Our father did not forget to show us the famous Canebière